Joint PR: Independent scientists set up international research project

The project focus: Risks of genetically engineered plants

Wednesday, 16 November 2016

A new project dealing with the
risks of genetically engineered plants was set up this week during a
workshop in Zürich, Switzerland. The project is independent of the
interests of the biotech industry. The experts from the public sector
and civil society agree that current regulatory practise as applied in
risk assessment of genetically engineered plants in Europe is not
sufficient to safeguard the protection of health and the environment.

"Current regulatory practice for risk assessment in Europe is not
sufficient to deal with the real dimensions of potential hazards
associated with genetically engineered plants. It is no secret that
these standards were strongly influenced by the biotech companies. We
must have a more balanced system that gives much higher priority to the
protection of the environment and consumers", Christoph Then says for
Testbiotech.

The European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental
Responsibility (ENSSER), the Critical Scientists Switzerland (CSS),
GeneWatch UK and Testbiotech are the organisations coordinating the
project. It involves more than a dozen experts from five European
countries. The results will be published at a conference at the end of
2017. The consortium will not be carrying out experimental risk research
itself, but will base its analysis on a wide range of scientific
publications and databases. The project is funded by Stiftung Mercator
Schweiz.

"The aim of the project is to improve the scientific knowledge and
public understanding of the risks and potential hazards involved in
introducing genetically engineered plants into agroecosystems and food
production. We will make recommendations for future risk assessment and
improved regulation of these crops," Angelika Hilbeck says for ENSSER
"And, of course, we will also be inviting EU and Swiss authorities and
the EU Commission to discuss these matters with us."